Ladder of Skills

[First Hunt]

I'm trying to rank the skills required to be considered a proficient survivalist. The rank would be according to the most useful. Given the Rule of Threes:

• 3 hours - shelter
• 3 days - water
• 3 weeks - food

I'm going to assume that dealing with these three issues would come first. For example, if you were a beginner survivalist you would want to learn how to find shelter, create debris huts etc. Once you had conquered that skill you would move onto learning the many ways of procuring a water supply.

Diving, firemaking, hunting, fishing etc. These are all example categories that need to be ranked.

Obviously these skills can be broken down into sub categories.

Anyway, I think it would be beneficial for everyone if we could create a ladder of skills to learn according to priority. It would prove a great resource for beginners like me!

Cheers,

First Hunt

[hunter63]

I'm trying to rank the skills required to be considered a proficient survivalist. The rank would be according to the most useful. Given the Rule of Threes:

• 3 hours - shelter
• 3 days - water
• 3 weeks - food

I'm going to assume that dealing with these three issues would come first. For example, if you were a beginner survivalist you would want to learn how to find shelter, create debris huts etc. Once you had conquered that skill you would move onto learning the many ways of procuring a water supply.

Lock picking, diving, tactical driving, firemaking, hunting, fishing etc. These are all example categories that need to be ranked.

Obviously these skills can be broken down into sub categories.

Anyway, I think it would be beneficial for everyone if we could create a ladder of skills to learn according to priority. It would prove a great resource for beginners like me!

Cheers,

First Hunt

Red highlites mine.

You know this is about "Wilderness Survival right?

[First Hunt]

Apologies, I posed this exact question on another survivalist forum so it's a copy and paste jobs. I'll edit those ones out!

Thanks for noticing!

[Stiffy]

I'm trying to rank the skills required to be considered a proficient survivalist. The rank would be according to the most useful. Given the Rule of Threes:

• 3 hours - shelter
• 3 days - water
• 3 weeks - food

I'm going to assume that dealing with these three issues would come first. For example, if you were a beginner survivalist you would want to learn how to find shelter, create debris huts etc. Once you had conquered that skill you would move onto learning the many ways of procuring a water supply.

Lock picking, diving, tactical driving, firemaking, hunting, fishing etc. These are all example categories that need to be ranked.

Obviously these skills can be broken down into sub categories.

Anyway, I think it would be beneficial for everyone if we could create a ladder of skills to learn according to priority. It would prove a great resource for beginners like me!

Cheers,

First Hunt

"lock picking, diving, tactical driving"?????

Maybe I'm missing something here, but I don't see how those skills are really useful in wilderness survival.

[First Hunt]

Hi Stiffy, I've edited them out. See my reply!

[Stiffy]

I see it. I think we both transmitted at the same time.

[hunter63]

Other forums?...there are other forums?......
What did they say?

I think I would place Number one.... 3minutes of air....or rest won't be of much use.

[First Hunt]

A lot of the responses I have got from other survivalist forums tend to be people just posting their gear which is not what the question is asking for haha

[hunter63]

I guess I having a hard time figuring out just what you are after, myself.

Each and every skill, will depend on location, climate, intended use and personnel preferences.......machete vs ax, big knife vs small knife.

What is your list?

[Sarge47]

The basic needs of survival are:

Fire;
Shelter;
Water;
Food:

Here's the thing, the priority of shelter and fire is fluid, that is to say it depends upon the situation and geographic location. For example, if you're out in the open and low on time and light, you should build the sjhelter 1st. However if you are in an enclosed location, like the woods or a canyon, you'd probably build the fire 1st. There still may be some variences given the exact situation.

The "Rule of Three" is as follows:

3 minutes without air;
3 days without water;
3 weeeks without food;

Bur beware! This is NOT carved in granite! For example, if you expend a lot of energy within your situation you're going to need food that much sooner, and that means more water to digest the food!

As for a "Ladder of Skills," you just pick one and go from there if you're learning. If you are in a true survival situation that will dictate which skills you will require and in what priority. I've covered a lot of this in my 6 part blog elsewhere on this site. Remember that as soon as you get into trouble S.T.O.P.! (see my blog here on the WSF site for more info on this: http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...-Sarge47/page4 scroll down to the 1st post of the series: "The Way of the Scout and you'll see what I'm talking about)

[sticker]

yea what sarge said. Fire and shelter are what I put at the top for me.

[RangerXanatos]

While I don't really practice it often, I would put signaling at the top of the list of the ladder. If you do good signals and are seen, then you may not need to build your shelter, fire, and procure water and food. While all of those skills are prioritized to your region and conditions, you should always be prepared to signal for help.

[BENESSE]

Start with 2 IQs to rub together.

[Sarge47]

While I don't really practice it often, I would put signaling at the top of the list of the ladder. If you do good signals and are seen, then you may not need to build your shelter, fire, and procure water and food. While all of those skills are prioritized to your region and conditions, you should always be prepared to signal for help.

Not a bad idea, add this to your "Rule of 3's" 3 of anything signals distress...3 fires, 3 whistle blasts, 3 gunshots, etc.!

[WolfVanZandt]

I firmly believe that the first thing you need in a survival situation is problem solving skills. Unfortunately, it's something they don't teach very well in schools. You can learn survival skills by rote and the first thing that happens is that nature will throw a curve ball at you that will negate everything.

[postman]

Of all the skills required for survival I would have to say that mastering fire in all types of weather with as many different tecniques as possible is the most important and most difficult. Shelter building is also critical but the skills required to build a shelter pale in comparisson to getting a fire started in the pouring rain, in late fall/early winter and early spring. Don't get me wrong they are of equal importance and both critical to your survival, but in my opinion the ability to make fire time after time in the most adverse conditions requires lots of knowledge and practice, an expedient shelter is easily carried with you. Fire is also the best way to purify your water, so in reality although the elements of survival are broken down by importance, the first three really go hand in hand with each other.

[First Hunt]

Very good point with signalling. That is definitely one to put on the top of the list.

I'd just like to get your opinions on this quote from a book I recently read as I think it is quite pertinent to the ranking of fire vs. shelter:

It had been sunny California tanning weather all day, and the evening was the epitome of mild. Many of us slept outside near the fire in sleeping bags. A few hours later, every person who chose to sleep outside of a tiny shelter felt like they were freezing to death.

The shelter being referred to is a simple debris hut.

Here is a list that someone posted on another forum:

1. Fire (fire can create potable water and, in many situations substitute for shelter, it also opens up your food options)
a. Basic fire building skills (tinder bundle, air flow, etc.)
2. Water (once you aren’t freezing to death, water is the next priority. In certain situations, shelter would have to be higher to get to the point where you are not freezing to death)
a. Purification (boiling, filtering)
3. Shelter
a. Basic tarp placement (includes basic use of knots)
b. Making use of natural shelter (caves, root bundles)
4. Navigation - Basic map and compass
5. Fire
a. Secondary ignition methods (ferro rod, flint & steel)
b. Primitive methods
6. Water - Alternative collection (digging, rain collection)
7. Shelter
a. Advanced tarp use (skilled knot work)
b. Making simple shelter (debris piles, snow caves)
8. Navigation - Alternative north finding (hands of a clock, etc)
9. Food
a. Fishing
b. Basic foraging (roots, easily identifiable plants)
10. Fire – ember transportation
11. Basic tool making
a. Fire hardening wood
b. Cordage
c. Very basic flint knapping
12. Food (The ranking of these is very situational and personal)
a. Conventional trapping (with manufactured traps)
b. Small game hunting
c. Primitive trapping
d. Advanced foraging (mushrooms, plants with dangerous look-a-likes)
13. Navigation – celestial navigation
14. Food (meat) preservation
a. With salt
b. Without salt
15. Advanced tool making
a. Proper flint knapping
b. Bow and arrow and other primitive weapon construction
16. Food – big game hunting
17. Shelter – permanent/cabin construction

The letterings denote sub-categories and the numbers categories. So #1 is the most important in this persons opinion and 'a.' would be the most important skill to learn first et cetera.

[Rick]

Why not start with the 10 Essentials? That covers all the basics.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Essentials

[hunter63]

Not a bad idea, add this to your "Rule of 3's" 3 of anything signals distress...3 fires, 3 whistle blasts, 3 gunshots, etc.!

So if you only have 2 shots left.....you are scewed?
The way I heard it was:...... 2 for the bears, and one for your self (for those that are jokular impaired...that was a joke)

[hunter63]

Start with 2 IQs to rub together.

That, Ms "B" is hilarious......Kudos.....